After today’s comic, we have about 7 more spreads to share in issue one. Each issue will focus on a different Olympian, so we’ll be changing track (and leaving some loose ends open to come back to) and focusing on a different Olympian: Hades.

I know, I know, you clever mythology buffs. Hades isn’t technically an Olympian as he lives in Hades and is one of the Cthonic deities. The Olympians technically refer to the top-tier gods who live on Olympus.

But I digress. Hades. Hades! HADES! I know you all want some Hades, and I know book fans who shipped Penny and Peter will be glad to hear that I’m tracing the myth back a little further to a prior version. You see, the Rape of Persephone is kind of a mistranslated version of the title of the myth. Somewhere between being translated to Latin and to English we turned Rapture into Rape (and in a modern context that means sexual assault). Rapture means kidnapping (or sweeping away) and therefore is not going to be nearly as big of a deal breaker for a romantic relationship between the pair. There’s a tumblr post that explains how Persephone was actually pretty empowered in the proper historical context.

So what can you expect from issue 2? We’ll announce the start date in a few weeks. There will be a brief break between issues and then number 2, “Give Up the Ghost,” will proceed. I’ve finished the script, and it’s really dark.

At the very end of May we’ll make issue one available on ebook and in print. I’ll be selling it and signing it at UtopYA in Nashville in June (and Geek Gathering and CONjuration this fall). If you want to support this comic, check out our merch and donation pages, and (as always) share it with friends.

Where Can I Read This All Together?

We have about a dozen more pages to draw, which means by the end of April we should have the rest of the first issue in the can and ready to bind into a completed 44-page issue. This first issue, “Lightning Rod”, is due to wrap up at the end of May.

I’m beginning the script for issue two (tentatively titled “Give up the Ghost”) now so that we can launch the first pages of it early this summer. We’ll take a few weeks off before issues to give the artist a break, and then we’ll jump right into it. The new issue will follow Peter Hadley (Hades).

As soon as all 44 pages of “Lightning Rod” are on a drive, we’ll begin compiling ebooks and the printed comic. I plan to have signed issues of the first comic at UtopYA in June, and they will be available for sale online. You will also be able to buy the issue on Kindle and iBooks.

Until then, I hope you’re all enjoying the weekly two-page spreads. If you like what you’re reading, share it with a friend. There are handy buttons below the comments on this page to help you do just that.

If you look at the donation page, we have a few packages for donors who want to give to this comic. The lowest level asks for a meager $5 in exchange for a Twitter shoutout. The biggest package comes with an exclusive shirt and an appearance in the comic as a minor character.

Dr. Kirtley, the red-headed principal in the jade-colored suit, is a depiction of my good friend and supporter Missy. Her appearance stretches over several pages. Later on in this issue we’ll also see another supporter drawn-in as a teacher. We’ll point her out when we come to her.

If you’re interested in being drawn-in as a minor character, visit our donation page today. It’s a fun way to see your face in print, and it guarantees the continuation of the comic going forward. There are also smaller packages for supporters who can’t afford as much, including a chance to have us tweet a link to your book!

I’ve been hard at work coloring pages and getting ahead on the comic, but I wanted to show you guys a few things I’ve been working on. Part of paying my artist is letting him take merchandising, so if you really like this comic, I’d appreciate if you buy some swag or make a small donation.

Shown here (left) is a sticker featuring the Athena character design from the comic. We’ve got stickers of modern Zeus (Zach), Hermes (Lewis), and Athena (Minnie) in the shop as well, but now I’m going to focus my efforts on the Olympians in amphora style. These stickers are high quality on vinyl, and Redbubble claims they can last 18 mos outdoors (on a car). They can last even longer on a binder or derby helmet.

This design, of course, is available on shirts and pillows and cups, etc. Keep checking back for more gods and goddesses added soon.

Launch weekend was not as neat as I would have hoped: technical issues with my server left limited functionality on the site for most of the weekend. The kinks are all worked out now and with hope, it will be smooth sailing from here on out.

For those of you who have not been following this comic project, let me give you the important bits:

This comic is an AU spinoff of the Olympia Heights series of novels. It is not a prerequisite to have read the novels.

In June we will be selling issue one of the comic in print and in certain ebook formats, but it will remain online to read free. If you like it, please consider buying merch, buying a published copy, or making a donation. It will help the comic going forward.

Issue 1, Lightning Rod, will run from now until May 29. Future issues will feature more Olympians.

If you want to get this comic in your email because you think you’ll forget to check back on Fridays, sign up using the form in the sidebar (left).